“Doctor!”
“Firefighter!”
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“Astronaut!”
We all remember when we were in 1st or 2nd grade and your teacher asked you to come up with the career that you want when you’re a “grown-up”. You might have even had a career day where you dressed up like the future profession that you wanted to pursue. Of course sometimes plans change over the course of a lifetime, but how could anyone have the heart to tell the 6-year-old dressed up like a cowboy waiting for a bus that his dream of owning a ranch and taking care of horses is a slim to none reality? NO ONE. OMG, look at his little hat and boots!!
At my age, the question is no longer “What do you want to be when you grow up?” but it is along those lines if you read IN BETWEEN the lines.
“What are you studying?”
“What are your plans after undergrad?”
“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”
All of these have the “What do you want to be when you grow up” implications, but with a little more expectation and LOT more pressure.
Some people work the same job, in the same office building, with the same people for 60 years and then retire, which is fine! And some people switch careers 10 different times over the span of 10 years, which is also FINE. The twists and turns of life help people prioritize what it is that they need to be happy. For example a certain company might offer to pay you $300,000 salary with amazing benefits and outstanding vacation time… but you would have to put in 90-hour workweeks. Another company might pay significantly less than that, but you have the nights and weekends off to go to your daughter’s soccer games. If you get into a career for the money, then I can GUARANTEE you will hate it. So much.
Even at the age of 6, the kid with the boots at the bus stop has a dream. Dreams are good. Dreams are what this country was founded on. Dreams are what separates us and make us unique in our ability to make decisions that can and will affect our lives and well-being. Anyone with a dream and a passion for something, no matter what it is, is 9/10 times better off than someone with all the right credentials. Someone could have a 4.0, killer resume, and tons of job offers after college, but without a passion and love for what they do, they’ll fall into the dreaded 9-5 rut of life, just making it through without really living. To dream is to live.
So this is why you don’t have to have it all figured out when you’re 18… it’s less fun that way and you’re limiting yourself. Keep your options open! Take a class that isn’t in your major. Volunteer your time to different organizations with different outreaches and goals. Experience new ideas, work through difficult problems, push yourself to the breaking point, and most importantly, test your limits. Eventually find out what you’re good at what you like then run with it. But always remember that you are not defined by your career and don’t let it consume you. Balance work and play. Make time for family, friends, and hobbies (watching the NBA Finals, Go Warriors). But most importantly when deciding what to ultimately do with your time… take your time.
